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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rock — a stone
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — a match
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stand — to bear
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — low music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — music
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com